From Today: Headlights Must be Lit on Highways - Even in Daytime

Traffic police to give a "grace period" this week whereby drivers won't be ticketed for forgetting to turn on headlights.

By Tova Dvorin

First Publish: 11/1/2013, 10:36 AM

Traffic police

Flash 90

Today (Friday), a new law goes into effect mandating that headlights must be lit on all intercity highways - even in broad daylight.

The new law, mandated by the Israeli traffic police for enactment during the winter season, will remain in effect until April 1, 2014. Private vehicles will now be required to keep their headlights lit on intercity highways at all times, including in daylight. Motorcycles, taxis, and large vehicles, e.g. trucks and busses, will be required to keep their lights on at all times - even on intracity streets.

The traffic police is giving a "grace period", to last until next Friday, during which commuters will not be ticketed for violating the new law. After the grace period, traffic tickets for the violation will be set for an 100 NIS fine, and a notation on the offender's driver's license.

Traffic accidents are a major problem in Israel, though the number of traffic-related deaths reportedly has reached a 50-year low, according to statistics released by the Central Bureau of Statistics in 2012.

In the meantime, gasoline prices for 95 octane have declined by 1.35% since, about 10 agurot per liter, or about 7.35NIS per liter for regular gasoline at a self-service station. The fee for gas station attendants remains at about 18 agurot per liter.

In Eilat, the maximum price for regular unleaded gasoline has stabilized at 6.20NIS per liter, down 9 agurot from last month (a 1.43% decrease); gas attendant fees remain at 15 agurot per liter.